


Call Me Margaret

by hilariouslygrounded



Category: MASH (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:34:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26632183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hilariouslygrounded/pseuds/hilariouslygrounded
Summary: It all started when BJ's war buddies came to visit Mill Valley.BJ hosts a party for his friends from the 4077th, which leads to a revelation that changes Peg's life forever. Luckily, Peg finds comfort in the strangest of places.
Relationships: B. J. Hunnicutt/Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan/Peg Hunnicutt
Comments: 10
Kudos: 47





	Call Me Margaret

It all started when BJ's war buddies came to visit Mill Valley. 

No, that wasn't fair. If Peg was honest with herself, it all started when BJ left for Korea. But while he was gone, and even once he'd come back, she could pretend nothing had changed. That he hadn't changed. And even more importantly, that _she_ hadn't. After that fateful party, though, nothing was ever the same again. 

The morning of the party, Peg and BJ rose early to prepare. Peg was in charge of the food, while BJ took drinks and decorating. His choices were a bit eccentric for her taste, but she supposed the style would make sense to their visitors. 

They didn't talk much while all of this went on. Truthfully, they didn't talk much in general, these days. Peg had grown used to it just being her and Erin while BJ was away. And BJ seemed to be in his own little world most of the time. Peg would never admit it, but privately she sometimes thought being a housewife was actually easier when her husband was in a different country. 

Just before five, Peg put on her party dress. It was the same one she'd worn to make that video for BJ for their anniversary while he was in Korea. She hoped it would give her a conversation topic for the party. The only one of BJ's friends she'd ever met had been Walter, so these guests would largely be strangers. 

BJ put on that awful Hawaiian shirt he'd brought home from the war. Peg didn't think it fit the occasion at all. But he insisted. 

"How else will they recognize me?" 

"It’s only been eight months, dear." 

"Exactly! I'm a new person. I don't even have my mustache anymore!" 

The first people to arrive were Walter, a priest, and an old man who must be Colonel Potter. Peg took their coats and showed them onto the patio. There was a lot of hugging when they saw BJ, even from the priest, but Peg managed to avoid most of it. 

Walter came over and said hello to her and Erin. He commented on how much the girl had grown since that day the two of them picked him up from the airport in San Francisco. Peg was just about to ask him how farming in Iowa was going when he froze for a second. 

"Doorbell," he muttered. And then the doorbell rang. 

Peg went to get the door, amazed at the boy's prediction. She guessed that was why they called him Radar. 

The person at the door was a man named Max who complimented her dress the way only a person who knew dresses could. She supposed he was the infamous Klinger who'd tried wearing dresses to get out of the army. A moment later, a pompous balding man introduced himself as Charles. 

More guests filtered in. BJ greeted them all warmly, but he appeared to be looking for someone. 

"Where is he?" he wondered aloud as he helped Peg put out the food at six. 

"I'm sure he'll be here soon. He probably got held up somehow." It seemed the right thing to say. 

At seven, a frustrated BJ offered to put Erin to bed. Peg let him do it, even though she would've preferred the escape from all these strangers, because he seemed so put out about the missing guest. 

At 7:05 the doorbell rang. A tall man in a Hawaiian shirt even worse than BJ's stood on the stoop. She let him in. 

He stuck out his hand. "Hi, I'm-" 

"Hawkeye!" BJ yelled from the top of the stairs. 

He almost fell in his hurry to greet his friend. Peg didn't think he'd even been that animated when she met him at the airport the day he came home. 

"You son of a gun, how are you?" 

"Starving. I got lost trying to find this place. All the houses look like apple pie." 

BJ laughed and led the man over to the remains of the buffet. 

Peg felt a little lost. She didn't know anyone well enough to strike up a conversation without BJ to guide her. The only thing for it was to plant herself on the couch and blend into the background. 

The only woman from the party plopped down next to her a little while later. 

"I simply cannot dance any more!" she laughed boisterously. 

"I'm sorry to hear that," Peg said automatically. 

The woman gave her an appraising look. "It must be hard, isn't it?" 

"I don't know what you mean, Major Houlihan." 

"Call me Margaret. Please." 

"I don't know what you mean, Margaret." 

"Don't you? Your husband leaves you on your own for nearly two years and comes back a changed man. Then he forces you to let a gang of unruly war buddies you don't know into your home." 

"You aren't that unruly." 

As Peg said it, BJ's friend Hawkeye knocked over the vase her mother had given them for a wedding present while BJ guffawed. Luckily, it didn't break. 

"Sure we're not," Margaret smiled sympathetically. 

"Were they always like this?" 

"Who?" 

Peg gestured at her husband, who seemed to have eyes only for his friend. "BJ and-" 

"Hawkeye? Yes. They were practically inseparable from the moment BJ arrived in Korea. We used to joke that they were like an old married couple." 

Peg tore her eyes away from the two men, who were now dancing in a joking manner, and jumped to her feet. "Would you like a drink, Margaret?" 

"Oh yes please." 

She went to the drinks table and made mixed drinks for herself and Margaret. Her own had a lot of drink and very little mix. 

They spent the rest of the party on the couch together, drinking and talking about nothing in particular. Margaret was very pretty, and in other circumstances Peg would be worried about her and BJ knowing each other so well. But Margaret didn't seem like a threat. In fact, she was someone Peg found herself wanting to know better. 

"How long are you in the area for?" 

"I'm actually thinking of moving to San Francisco for work. Right now I'm staying with a friend from nursing school until I can find a place that fits the budget." 

"How wonderful! Perhaps we can have lunch or something sometime. It gets rather lonely when BJ is at work all day." Right then it seemed very important that she see Margaret again. It was probably the alcohol, but despite their vastly different career paths the woman in front of her felt like a kindred spirit. 

"I'd like that," Margaret smiled. She put a gentle hand on top of Peg's. "But for now, I'd better help you herd these hooligans out of your house. 

It was nearly midnight by the time they'd all gone. Well, not all. BJ had offered Hawkeye their couch since he hadn't been able to secure a hotel room. Peg was too tired to care. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. 

BJ was already out of bed when Peg woke up the next morning. She was used to it by now; he woke at strange times, all of them early, ever since arriving home. After checking on Erin, who was still sleeping peacefully, she dressed and went downstairs to see about breakfast. 

Low voices in the dining room stopped her. BJ and Hawkeye's words were unintelligible, but they seemed to be discussing something serious. She crept past them and into the kitchen. 

It wasn't on purpose, but as she silently made to prepare eggs and bacon Peg caught herself spying on the two men from the doorway at such an angle that they couldn't see her. She couldn't see Hawkeye's face, but BJ had an earnest expression. 

Then something happened that made her drop the frying pan with a clatter. The sound gave her away, so she ran out the door still in her slippers. Peg could hear BJ chasing her, but she didn't stop until she reached the end of the cul de sac. 

"Peg, wait!" BJ caught up to her easily. "Can we talk about this?" 

Peg snorted. "Is there any talking about it?" 

"Please, come back to the house and I'll explain whatever you saw. We can discuss what to do about it like adults. But let's not make a scene here in front of the neighbors." 

Somehow, Peg found herself allowing BJ to lead her back to the house. Hawkeye was nowhere to be found. They sat across from each other at the dining room table. Peg crossed her arms. 

"Now, what did you see?" 

"You were _kissing_ a _man_ in my _house_!" Peg hissed. She didn't want to wake Erin, especially not like this. 

BJ looked sheepish. "I'm sorry you saw that. I wanted to talk to you. To explain everything. I didn't want you to find out like that." 

"Find out what exactly?" 

He sighed. "Peg, while I was in Korea I learned something about myself. Something I think I always knew, deep down. I thought I could keep it in Korea, come back here, back to you, and pretend it never happened. But when I saw Hawkeye again, I realized it wasn't possible. That it wasn't fair to you to try." 

The way he said "Hawkeye" was so tender that for a moment she forgot to be mad. 

"You love him, don't you. In a way you never loved me." 

"But I did love you, Peg. I still do! You're the mother of my daughter, damn it!" 

"It's not in the same way, though. Is it?" 

BJ hung his head. "I don't think it is. When I'm with Hawkeye, it's like breathing. He makes me feel like a whole person. You're a lovely woman, Peg. You deserve someone who feels that way about you. I can't give you that. Not anymore." 

"So what, you want a divorce? So you can take up with him? It won't be the same, you know. You can't marry him." 

Hawkeye appeared in the doorway at that moment. He was holding Erin on his hip and she had her arms around his neck. A small part of Peg thought the sight was the most natural thing in the world. The rest of her felt like it was being boiled in lava.

"You're right, Peg. Beej and I can't get married. But that doesn't mean we can't make it work, with a little discretion. Maybe not in Crabapple Cove, or Mill Valley, but nobody knows anyone's business in a place like San Francisco." 

"And what am I supposed to do?" she cried. "I'm a housewife! I can't afford to stay here on my own with Erin. Even if you paid me alimony." 

BJ looked at her with those big, sad eyes of his. "I'll make sure you're supported, Peg. You might not be able to stay here, but I'll keep you and Erin off the streets." 

Erin started crying, which startled Hawkeye. Peg stood and took her daughter from him. 

"Hello, Margaret? It's Peg Hunnicutt. Have you found a place to live in the city yet?" 

Margaret's voice sounded tinny over the telephone. "No. Not yet. Everywhere halfway decent is over my budget." 

"Would you consider a roommate?" 

"Maybe, if I found the right person. Why?" 

"Is there somewhere we can meet to talk?" Peg struggled to not sound miserable. From Margaret's response, she assumed she’d failed.

"I can be at your place in an hour. Hang in there, Peg." 

The townhouse was small, Peg would have to share a room with Erin, but once they’d moved the furniture in it didn’t feel so shabby. And it was the best they could afford on Margaret’s nursing salary and Peg’s alimony payments from BJ. At least it was just around the corner from a nice little park where Peg could take Erin to play. 

Margaret was all sharp angles. There was a military precision to how she did everything, from making her bed with hospital corners (Peg noticed when she went in to vacuum) to arranging the food on her plate. The only softness she ever exhibited was one night when she caught Peg crying. Peg expected her to tell her to “buck up, soldier,” but instead she put on a sad record and let Peg cry on her shoulder while they ate ice cream. 

The routine they established was, in Peg’s opinion, very sensible. Margaret worked, so Peg cooked and cleaned and did the shopping. Margaret often expressed guilt at using Peg as a housewife, but Peg assured her that she preferred it this way. Being a housewife, after all, was what she knew how to do. And besides, it was mostly her and Erin making the messes anyway. 

BJ came alone to pick up Erin for the first several weekends. That was the agreement, Peg got their daughter during the week and BJ got her from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening. Hawkeye kept a respectful distance, which, according to Margaret, was the first time he’d ever done so in his life. But eventually, he and BJ wanted to see their friend. The townhouse was half Margaret’s, after all, and despite her taking Peg’s side she still had a Korean-born bond with those men. Peg supposed that was why Maragret took their secret relationship in her stride so easily. 

Peg hid in her room for as long as she could the first time Hawkeye came along to pick up Erin. She knew BJ wanted them all to be friends, but it was hard. This man had waltzed in and taken her life out from under her. It wasn’t even really BJ’s being in love with him that she resented, she realized. She could live without BJ. She had done so while he was at war. But at least the war hadn’t taken her home, it didn’t steal her daughter away for two nights a week. 

Eventually, Peg couldn’t pretend to be dressing Erin for travel any longer. She led her little girl out of the bedroom and into the tiny kitchen. It hurt a bit to see Erin jump right into Hawkeye’s lap as if she belonged there. But Peg had to admit she was glad to see Erin and BJ so happy. Perhaps she could be friends again, in time. 

After that, Hawkeye started coming with BJ more often. Not every time, he said he knew how important the time was for them, but on occasion he stopped in to say “hiya” to Margaret. And Peg got used to him. The stilted hellos gave way to the torrential downpour of jokes he made. Erin always came back to her clean, happy, and obviously well cared for, which counted for a lot. 

Peg got used to Margaret, too. They spent their empty weekends together, two strangers to each other and the city. Peg grew up in the suburbs and Margaret grew up just about everywhere, so they did as much exploring as their meager budget would allow. Their friendship blossomed quickly. Peg couldn’t remember ever being so close to another woman in her life. 

The first time she saw exactly how soft Margaret could be under her thorny exterior was on the fourth of July. BJ was keeping Erin for an extra night so he and Hawkeye could take her to the fireworks. Peg had always hated fireworks, so she didn’t mind too much. She decided to use the time to put on a jaunty record and deep clean the kitchen. 

The fireworks started as soon as it was dark. After the first boom, Margaret, who’d been reading on the couch, let out a terrified yell. Peg was shocked. Could this tough military woman be afraid of a few fireworks? It turned out she could. The fireworks continued, and Margaret drew herself into the fetal position. 

Peg knew it was her turn to provide comfort. She took off her apron and gloves and sat next to her friend. 

“Are you okay?” 

Margaret shook her head. “Being silly. I don’t like loud noises.” 

“It’s okay to be afraid.” 

“I’m supposed to be tough.” Another firework went off and Margaret pulled Peg into a tight hug. 

The strange thing was, Peg realized she didn’t mind. She let Margaret hold her and cry as the festivities went on outside their townhouse. Despite being the comforter, she also drew comfort from the embrace. Margaret’s perfume smelled amazing. She wondered where she could get some for herself, to wear when she was feeling down.

Eventually, silence returned. 

“I think it’s over,” Peg whispered. 

“Sorry about that,” Margaret said, letting go. 

Was Peg going crazy, or was she actually disappointed? “It’s alright. You don’t need to be sorry for being scared. I bet the fireworks set off some bad memories for you.” 

“Yeah,” Margaret laughed shakily. “The war was pretty terrible.” 

“I can’t even begin to imagine. But without it, we wouldn’t have met.” 

“Without it, you’d still be living a perfect life with your perfect husband. You wouldn’t need me.” 

Did Margaret sound bitter? “You don’t know that. BJ would’ve found some man to replace me with eventually. And without you, who knows where I’d be?” 

Peg looked into Margaret’s eyes. She could read the woman’s whole life story in them, just like how she used to be able to read BJ’s. And there was something in those eyes that she suddenly recognized. Something hidden that echoed in her own soul, crying out to be acknowledged. 

Slowly, carefully, giving Margaret lots of time to stop her, Peg leaned in and kissed her, right on the lips. Margaret didn’t stop her. In fact, she responded with enthusiasm. Nothing else in her life had ever felt this _right_. Kissing Margaret was more natural than breathing. 

She woke up the next morning feeling warmer and safer than she ever had before. When she opened her eyes, Peg realized she was still in Margaret’s bed. Margaret was wrapped around her like a blanket. After blinking the sleep from her eyes, the memory of last night came back to her. Peg blushed at the thought of what they’d done. 

“Good morning, dear,” Margaret said, her voice rough from sleep. “What time is it?” 

Peg glanced at the clock. “Eight thirty.” 

Margaret untangled herself and sat bolt upright. Peg couldn’t help admiring how lovely she looked in her pink silk nightdress. “I’m going to be late for work!” 

She threw the covers off, making Peg cold, and rushed to get dressed. As she did so, she tossed a silk kimono to Peg. Peg put it on gratefully, and rose to make some kind of breakfast. She saw Margaret out the door with a kiss and a piece of toast. 

“We’ll talk about this tonight, yeah?” Margaret promised. 

Peg nodded. “Have a good day at work!” 

It wasn’t long before BJ stopped by with Erin. He was on his way to work himself, though since he and Hawkeye ran their own practice he could afford to be late. 

“You’re looking good, Peg. Happier.” 

Peg blushed, remembering too late that she was still wearing Margaret’s kimono and nothing else. It already felt wrong for BJ to see her in such a state of undress, despite still technically being married to her.

“Remember what you told me about Hawkeye? How being with him was like breathing? I think I’ve found the person who makes me feel that way, too.” 

BJ smiled that big goofy smile she remembered from when they were first married. “I’m happy for you, Peg. It makes me feel better about all of this. And not that you need my approval, but Margaret’s quite the catch.” 

“How-?” 

“I was there when Margaret bought that kimono. It feels like a million years ago now. You two will be good for each other. I know it.” 

BJ gave Erin a hug and sent her toddling off to her room. He declined the coffee Peg offered him, saying he ought to get to work. 

“Can’t let Hawkeye hold down the fort forever, can I?” 

Peg led him to the door. 

“Bye, Peg. See you Friday.” 

“Goodbye BJ.” 

He started to close the door.

“BJ?” 

“Yeah?” 

“I’m happy for you, too.”


End file.
